MS-13 members are indeed ‘animals’

MS-13 members are indeed ‘animals’

May 17, 2018

Jordan Schachtel

The president created controversy in the media Wednesday when he referred to MS-13 members as “animals,” but his rhetoric is spot-on, and it advances the goal of isolating and defeating the most dangerous criminal gang in America.

In response to comments about MS-13 from Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims, President Trump added:

“You won’t believe how bad these people are. These aren’t people. These are animals. And we’re taking them out of the country at a level and at a rate that’s never happened before.”

At first, the Left attempted to smear the president and claim he was talking about all immigrants. Countless legacy media outlets — from MSNBC to the New York Times — falsely claimed he was talking about all illegal aliens.

When the transcript and video clearly demonstrated that he was referring to MS-13, some on the Left moved to a different tactic. Now they say it’s mean to dehumanize the violent gang members.

CNBC’s John Harwood:

The Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin:

Dylan Matthews of Vox:

You have to wonder if the Left is merely ignorant, perhaps harnessing the moment to take cheap shots at the president, or simply does not care about the MS-13 threat because it does not affect them.

President Trump’s rhetoric is spot-on. MS-13 has terrorized the American people long enough, and its members do not deserve to be called human. Just as ISIS needs to be dehumanized and destroyed, the MS-13 gang must also be decimated and ultimately defeated. MS-13 is arguably the most violent gang in America. Its members are enemies of everything that this nation stands for. Given that MS-13 is a transnational criminal gang, some of its associates happen to be illegal immigrants, which is why they are often brought up in the context of the immigration issue.

Known for their ruthless killings, gang members show absolutely no respect for human life. MS-13 is also heavily involved in the drug trade, extortion rackets, and sex-trafficking operations, according to state and federal law enforcement agencies.

Public officials have sworn an oath to protect our nation and its people from all threats foreign and domestic, and MS-13 is one of the nation’s foremost domestic threats. According to government estimates, there are about 10,000 MS-13 members in the United States. The president is right to dehumanize these individuals and make it clear that there is no place for them in this country. He has the right to use all the rhetorical and physical tools in his law enforcement arsenal to mitigate and ultimately remove the threat.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has vowed to crack down on violent street gangs.

By Megan Trimble, Associate Editor, Social MediaApril 18, 2017, at 3:47 p.m.10 Things to Know About the MS-13 Gang

A MS-13 graffiti is tagged on a Salvadorean bakery wall in Los Angeles in 2012. President Donald Trump blames former President Barack Obama for allowing the gang to gain a foothold in U.S. cities.(DAMIAN DOVARGANES/AP)

1. MS-13 STANDS FOR "Mara Salvatrucha," but the gang is also known as "MS" and "Mara" and its members are known as "Maras." The exact origins of the name are disputed.

2. The gang is traced back to Central American (primarily Salvadoran) refugees in Los Angeles in the 1980s. MS-13 began among the members fleeing a U.S.-backed civil war at home.

3. Membership is now widespread. Gang members are reported in Canada, Central America, Mexico and elsewhere. The group is said to have leadership in El Salvador, and the FBI reports the group's influence continues to expand in the U.S.

3. The U.S. Treasury Department declared the group a transnational criminal organization in October 2012. While declaring the group a TCO, the department linked MS-13 to drug trafficking, kidnapping, human smuggling, sex trafficking, murder, assassinations, racketeering, blackmail, extortion and immigration offenses.

4. The gang is known for its brutality, which is reflected in one of its mottos: “Mata, roba, viola, controla,” or, “Kill, steal, rape, control.”

5. Gang members have been linked to a number of high-profile killings in the U.S., including the September 2016 deaths of two teenage girls killed with baseball bats and a machete and a March 2017 killing tied to satanic sacrifice.

6. MS-13 members are known for using a group-specific sign language and sporting tattoos across their bodies that display their gang name and symbols. A common symbol is the "devil's head." Some members, though, have been instructed to limit public visibility of their tattoos.

8. Attorney General Jeff Sessions vowed that the Justice Department will crack down on violent crime while meeting with federal law enforcement on ways to combat organized crime. Sessions named MS-13 when he said gangs "represent one of the gravest threats to American safety."

9. President Donald Trump mentioned the gang in a tweet. Trump said weak Obama administration immigration policies allowed more gangs to form nationwide.

10. The Treasury Department reported in 2012 that there were at least 8,000 MS-13 members in more than 40 states and the District of Columbia, and 30,000 members internationally.

What they call this wonderful man is unbelievable. I've never heard or witnessed anything like the attacks on Trump. It's sad really, to see someone working so hard and in earnest to fix really huge problems for our country be attacked the way he is.

What they call this wonderful man is unbelievable. I've never heard or witnessed anything like the attacks on Trump. It's sad really, to see someone working so hard and earnest to fix really huge problems for our country be attacked the way he is.

Not to mention what they say about Melania, Barron and the whole family.

Gehmu Green is on of those haters. Last night, I believe it was on Laura's show, she proposed the idea (rumor) that President Trump had paid for many abortions. When challenged for facts, she said she had none. Then she went on trying the promote that idea anyway. I would ban her from all public speaking since the truth means nothing to her.